Clothes contact for hurricane victims

The call for giving to help Hurricane Katrina victims has gone out far and wide, and it’s easy enough to send a check or donate online, but those who are more practically minded might want to open up their closets and give something more concrete.

Like clothes, bedding or household goods to benefit the evacuees coming to San Francisco.

“How will my donated goods help evacuated families?Any donation of clothing or goods made to Goodwill designated for Katrina relief will benefit evacuated families who have come to the Bay Area. We are converting these items into Goodwill store vouchers that the Red Cross then distributes to families. This enables families to select what they most need from any Goodwill store in San Francisco, San Mateo, Marin, Alameda, Contra Costa and Solano Counties.”

“What goods are helpful?

Any item that Goodwill normally accepts is eligible for conversion to vouchers. We accept virtually all gently used clothing or goods, including computers, furniture and automobiles.”

Donations can be dropped off at various locations. Here’s a list of what is not acceptable (my favorite is “Nothing Alive: for example – Plants or Puppies”). The site also contains information about how to host a clothing drive. If you’ve already done that, or have other local resources, please leave a comment below.